October, 1909,] 



298 



Saps and Exudations, 



steps of collecting the rubber from the 

 trees, getting it to the drying house, 

 making it into a commercial product, 

 and preparing it for shipment. 



Incidentally much information will be 

 got on the quantity of latex found in 

 young trees, and the age and size at which 

 tapping should best be begun. Such data 

 are all to the good, for the object of the 

 experiment is not to get rubber, but to 

 find out accurately what the cost of 

 collecting it is to be. Even if no rubber 

 at all were obtained the data as to the 

 time needed for making the cuts, setting 

 and gathering the cups, carrying the 

 containers to the drying shed and the 

 rest would be distinctly worth while, 

 for at present there are no figures avail- 

 able on the cost of these operations. 



It perhaps should be said here that 

 along with the tapping tests on the 

 small trees there will alsc be made conti- 

 nued tappings of some of the older trees 

 to ascertain how much rubber can be 

 produced, and for how long a time it 

 is expedient to continue to tap a given 

 tree. 



In working out the details of the ex- 

 periment the plan broadened somewhat 

 in scope, so that as it now stands the work 

 that it is proposed to do falls under four 

 main heads, as follows : — 



First. — Experimental tappings to deter- 

 mine the cost of collecting latex under 

 conditions of commercial practice. 



Seconci.— Comparative tests of different 

 methods of tapping to ascertain which 

 one is best adapted to the local condi- 

 tions, in view of cost, time required, 

 effect on the flow of latex, and general 

 influence on the tree. 



Third.— A study of the methods of 

 handling latex after it has been collected, 

 with special reference to control by 

 chemicals or by other means, so that as 

 large a percentage as possible may be 

 sold as high grade rubber. The best 

 way of handling the " scrapings " is an 

 important phase of this problem. 



Fourth.— A study of methods of culti- 

 vation and fertilization, to find out how 

 through these means the rubber trees 

 may be brought sooner to the point of 

 tapping, or by increased vitality be 

 made to yield larger quantities of latex 

 at an earlier age or for a longer period 

 of flow. 



Along with the main points enumer- 

 ated much information should also be 

 got on such related matters as the best 

 spacing of the trees, the appropriate 

 season of the year for planting, inter- 

 cultural crops, and the like- 



The work under the third head- 

 methods of chemical control— will be per- 



formed at the laboratory of the Hawaii 

 Experiment Station in Honolulu, as it is 

 of a character requiring special equip- 

 ment and knowledge only possessed by 

 a trained chemist. There are enough 

 rubber trees on the station grounds and 

 in the Tamtalus forest to provide the 

 necessary latex. All the rest of the 

 work will be done in the field on the 

 several rubber plantations. 



Of what has so far been accomplished 

 in these experiments Dr. Wilcox is to 

 speak this afternoon. 



The terms of the co-operative agree- 

 ment as it now stands are that the 

 Hawaii Experiment Station shall furnish 

 the agent in charge of the field work, and 

 shall undertake the chemical and other 

 studies requiring: laboratory equipment ; 

 the.Di vision of Forestry pays the salary 

 of the agent and the other necessary ex- 

 penses. For this purpose $1,200 has been 

 set apart from the appropriation of the 

 Division. Each of the four rubber plan- 

 tations at Nahiku has agreed to furnish 

 one labourer for each time as may be 

 needed, to work under the direction of 

 the agent in charge, but to be paid by 

 the plantation. 



Early in September Dr. Wilcox, Mr. 

 F. T. P. Waterhouse and I visited Nahiku 

 and worked out on the ground, in con- 

 ference with the managers of the four 

 rubber plantations, the program that 

 has since been put in effect. The in- 

 vestigation will be continued during the 

 remainder of the present fiscal period, 

 that is to June 30th, 1909. At its con- 

 clusion the results will be published 

 either by the Experiment Station or by 

 the Board of Agriculture and Forestry. 



THE RISE IN RUBBER. 



(From the Indian Trade Journal, Vol. 

 XIV., No. 174, July 29, 1909.) 



In the Times Financial and Com- 

 mercial Supplement of July 2nd, 1909i 

 there appears an article dealing with the 

 rubber market. The writer says :— In 

 1906 the price for plantation rubber rose 

 to 6s. 3d. and that for fine Para to 5s. 

 5d.; in 1908 the price for plantation 

 rubber dropped to as low a figure as 

 3s. 0£d. and that for fine Para to 2s. 9d. 

 per lb. This year prices have risen to 

 a record height, plantation reaching 7s. 

 and fine Para 6s. 3^d.; and at about this 

 level the market remains at present. 



The advance iu 1906 was primarily 

 caused by the fact that the demand due 

 to developments in the electrical and 

 motor industries was increasing at a 

 greater rate than the supplies of rubber, 



